<html>
    <head>
        <title>Test</title>
        <style>

  htmlarea[novalue]:empty:not(:focus)::marker {
    content:attr(novalue);
    width:*; 
    text-align:center;
    margin:* 0;
    color:#bbb;
    z-index:-1; // below content layer, does not react on mouse
  }

        </style>
        <script type="text/tiscript"></script>
    </head>
    <body>

<p>demo of "novalue" handling by CSS means</p>

<htmlarea novalue="click to type something here" />

    </body>
</html>